The invention relates to a photon detector wherein material of light-dependent conductivity is disposed between electrically conductive connections; the invention further relates to a process for the manufacture of this photon detector.
A wide range of different devices is known for the detection of light or photons, such as photocells, in which, in a high-vacuum vessel, the photons cause the emission of electrons from a photocathode, or solid-state elements, in which a light-dependent resistance value is converted into electrical signals. Examples of known photon detectors are described, inter alia, in Photonendetektoren fur UV L. Struder, J. Kemmer, "Neuartige Detektoren fur die Rontgen-Astrophysik," Phys. B1. 52 (1996) 21, "MOS-CCD-Kameras der Elektronik-Industrien", company catalogues and in Photo-Widerstande aus Halbleitermaterial: J. C. Gammel, H. Ohno, J. M. Ballantyne, "High Speed Photoconductive detectors using GaInAs". IEEE J. Quant. Electr. QE-17 (1981) 269-272. Some of the known devices react sluggishly to the incidence of light, require high light intensities or are expensive to manufacture. Furtheron from U.S. Pat. No. 5,446,286 a very fast sensor is known which uses doped nanocrystallites. However the required photosensitivity is achieved only for X-rays and UV-rays. Further in the German Patent No. DE 42 34 671 the manaufacturing of networks of nanocrystallites is described which are designated for different sensors whereby the nanocrystallites are not insolated against each other. A usable photosensitivity is not achieved.